Skittle

Hi,

Not been on here for sooo long! Thought I would share my experience of 1 year in Adelaide with you all.

We arrived on 31st July 2007 and was quite shocked how low the temperatures got in an evening. Had to go out and buy hot water bottles!

It really is a testing time when you first arrive, your family unit is the only thing that's familiar to you. You've just left your family and friends behind, and are just realising what they mean to you and yet you have this whole adventure ahead of you waiting to unfurl.

Unfortunately our UK house sale had fallen through a week before we flew out so that put somewhat of a dampener on our plans. We rented a furnished house in Marino for the first 4 weeks and it was like being transported back to the 1970's! The only loo in the house had an open slatted window and felt like an outside loo. During this time we managed to secure a rental in Hallett Cove and enrolled the kids into school.

My OH started work after being here for 2 weeks and I started to look in earnest for a job. I registered with a couple of agencies in the city and was told that I would have no trouble securing a job. As we hadn't sold the house I decided I better work sooner rather than later! 10 interviews later and having been offered 3 of them, I chose the one I liked the sound of best.

I am still in the same job nearly a year later and am loving it.

The kids have settled extremely well and my son is now the proud owner of his very own surfboard. They are often out at sleepovers or having their friends here and it's lovely to see them happy and confident.

I do think that you almost have to go through a grieving process when you arrive - grieving for your old familiar life, the only one you have ever known in most cases. If you can get through that and embrace all that your new life has to offer then you will soon find that you think of your new surroundings as home.

The good news is that we eventually settled our UK house in Dec and bought our very own Australian home in Feb.

Our lives are now filled with working, socialising with new found friends, day trips, beach life and enjoying our new house.

Good luck to all those of you planning the move over here.

Shanaghy

Well done Skittle glad to see things worked out well for you ,hopefully that will be us also this time next year

mindblower

Yep , well done Skittle.

weez75

thanks for that skittle, we have been looking at the rentals on line and i have notice that they are stuck in the 70's!!!!

purple rain

Congrats on your first year, heres to many more happy and contented ones
jacqui

Claire W

Wow I remember Skittle, S/Nurse and weez75 all from the Ad brits site back when we were going there !!! This is Claire off the site and yes we are STILL trying to get that bloody visa !! Had meds again 4 weeks ago for a 457 visa, I have a job in a hair salon in Canberra which I got in May 08, so we are hoping to get an idea any time soon
Glad to here your'e settled now Skittle....and I do worry a bit about how things will go on arrival.....luckily we will have support from Jandy who runs the agency I got my job through and my new bosses who say moving over after Oct. will be best as they are away between them through Sept. and Oct.....I am hoping it will be that quick !!!!
Well this is 3 years down the line ...so hopefully it will be our year
All the best ...
Claire

marvinc

Glad to hear your happily settled, enjoyed your update

dunnarunna

Thanks for the good post, we have been here 3 months, living in a cold 1970`s rental and we havent sold the house in uk either, missing family, so feeling down and reading your post gives me some hope that things will get better. My kids are happy so i feel its something i will just have to put up with.
donna

Claire W

Hi Donna,
from what I have heard from those in Adelaide you have arrived to the most rain they have had in a long time !! I'm sure spring coming up will be more "cheery"....I hope so for you....at least kids like it...imagine if they didn't ?!!
Take care
Claire

Sally Simpson

Nice update & glad all going well for you!